POLE DE CONSERVATION DU LOUVRE
Our proposal for the Pôle de Conservation des Collections du Musée du Louvre in Liévin-Lens establishes a world-class sanctuary for public heritage, designed as a seamless continuation of the regional landscape. More than a storage facility, the project is a “landscape building” that reconciles high-security requirements with a poetic, crystalline presence. The architectural concept is defined by two primary gestures: a protective “Talus” (earthen mound) and a light-filled “Couronne” (crown).
The triangular geometry is meticulously integrated into the site, with its apex—a cantilevered point—orienting itself toward the Louvre-Lens museum in a welcoming gesture that forms the main entrance. The “Talus” forms a natural, vegetated barrier at the ground level, ensuring the physical safety of the collections while grounding the massive volume in nature. Hovering above, the “Couronne” features a sophisticated glass facade with a three-dimensional diamond pattern that captures daylight for workspaces and emits a warm, welcoming glow at night, signaling the building’s cultural and monumental mission.
Internally, the project is organized around a central, double-height “indoor street” that serves as the building’s logistical backbone, ensuring efficient movement of artworks from delivery docks to conservation studios and storage. The layout follows a clear functional logic: the tip contains administrative and research zones, the center houses conservation workshops, and the base is dedicated to high-protection storage. This “spatial machine” provides a flexible structural grid of regular columns that can adapt to future institutional needs, including a dedicated internal zone for future expansion.
Sustainability and climate stability are at the heart of the technical design. The building’s high thermal inertia, achieved through its compact form and earth-sheltered base, minimizes energy consumption for the precise temperature and humidity control required for art preservation. Renewable energy is integrated via geothermal systems utilizing the local chalk aquifer, while the roof design allows for 2,300m² of photovoltaic panels to reach “Zero Energy” status. Every detail—from the use of solid oak frames to the integration of “ha-ha” walls and varying landscapes like the flower garden and basins—reflects a commitment to a durable, serene, and culturally significant workspace.
